My new friends
by sazza-da-vampire
Summary: I met the Fellowship once, with my big sister. We were in Lorien, and I actually ran into them." Three young Elflings meet the Fellowship, and bring healing to them, without even knowing that they are sad and in need of laughter. Very slightly AU


I ran, laughing, along the paths of Lothlorien, behind Bregolas, Alassë chasing us. We were playing a game common among elf children, which we called 'Chasey', a word apparently devised from a language of Men.

Bregolas stopped laughing in front of me, and I found out why when I looked back in front of me, the giggles dieing on my lips. He had crashed straight into one of the visitors, whom we had been told to stay away from. And I crashed right into his companion, an Elf that I had never met before.

The strange Elf bent down to our level, and began checking us over for bruises, chuckling something like "it hurts a lot when an Elfling runs into a fully-grown Hobbit, you know. My sister still has the scars to prove it," but I've never been good in Westron lessons. For all I know, the Elf could've been admonishing us.

Alassë suddenly slammed into me, squeaking shrilly "Ada told us not to go near the visitors! They have weapons and we could get hurt!"

The Elf said, this time to me, "I am Legolas Thranduilion of Mirkwood, and this is Frodo Baggins of the Shire. Who are you, then?"

Bregolas answered, timidly, "I am Bregolas Rumílion, and the girls are Alassë and Tiriliel Tathoriel."

Alassë is my big sister, by the way. She is a full decade older than me. "Mae govannen, Frodo Baggins," I squeaked, as my more confident sister said, "Suilad, Master Baggins."

Satisfied that we were not injured, Legolas picked up Bregolas and me, nodding to Frodo, I think to tell him that he should pick up my sister. It was really funny to look at, Alassë was nearly as big as Frodo was!

"Where are you supposed to be, darling?" Frodo asked her, but I replied instead.

"We were playing chasey," I said proudly, and I was proud indeed – I think I translated it right! But I don't think I actually answered the question.

So Legolas asked again, but this time in Sindarin, so I didn't have to half-guess what he said.

"We are allowed to play until dinner!" Bregolas announced proudly, before haltingly translating it for Frodo.

"Can we introduce them to Sam then? Dinner's not for another half hour," Frodo said, in near-perfect Sindarin. That was when I stopped trying to speak in Westron, as did Alassë and Bregolas.

"Are you allowed?" Legolas asked Alassë, probably because she is the oldest of us. We all nodded earnestly, even though we had actually been told not to go there. But we weren't _going _there, we were being _taken_ there.

Well, that's what I told Galadriel and Celeborn when they found out, anyway. Bregolas came up with it! But our Adars saw through it, and set us with the washing up for our families. I hate washing up!

Legolas had called out in Westron just before we reached the place, and told us that he was just saying that he had company. Frodo chuckled at that, so I guess that wasn't all he said.

The Dwarf was steadfastly on the other side of the clearing, and he only said, "I'm Gimli," to us before going somewhere else. I don't think he liked me. I nearly cried when he walked away. Adults usually think I'm cute, and give me hugs, and pick me up.

Legolas put me and Bregolas down, and introduced us to Aragorn, Boromir, Merry, Sam and Pippin. I told Pippin that I really liked his name, and he laughed and hugged me. I liked Pippin.

Merry was funny, too. He let me play with his hair. I've never seen curly hair before, and his was really curly! I learnt a new word in Westron, too, but Aragorn sternly told us that we are not allowed to repeat it. Pippin said it when Bregolas pulled at his hair. I think it was a naughty word.

Alassë was playing a game with Aragorn and Boromir, and she promised to teach it to me and Bregolas! They were saying what I thought was random words, but it made Aragorn, Legolas and Frodo laugh a lot. Merry told me that they were saying whatever word first came to their minds, so Boromir was saying Westron words that Alassë didn't know, and she was saying words that he didn't know.

Sam and Pippin were talking to Bregolas, but I was talking to Legolas and Merry and Frodo, and laughing at the Men and my sister. They were funny.

Aragorn and Legolas and Sam took us to our families, and Ada thought that we'd had a great opportunity to learn Westron and have fun. Ada really liked Legolas and Aragorn, and he later said that he'd already met them, before. Bregolas's Ada and Nana invited Sam to dinner with them, but he said that he was going to dine with the other hobbits.

I went looking for them all the next day, and found out why they'd carried us before. It was really far, because it was all the way on the other side of the city. Alassë, Bregolas and me were so tired when we got there, that we almost fell asleep sitting down. Legolas, Aragorn and Sam carried us home again, but I fell asleep in Sam's arms. His shoulder was a very nice pillow, I found out.

I woke up when Sam passed me to Nana. Alassë was in Ada's arms, asleep, and I could see Bregolas's Ada's door closing, presumably with Bregolas inside. Legolas and Aragorn said goodbye to me in Sindarin, and I said bye to them, and then Sam said bye in Westron, and I copied the words, but I didn't know that it was bye-bye forever.

They had to go the next day, and I was sad. But I'm happy now, because Galadriel put the picture I drew up in the throne room, it's a picture of the four Hobbits, an Elf, two men, three little Elflings and a grumpy old Dwarf. I found Gimli before they left though, and I showed him the picture. He said that it wasn't that he didn't like me, it was that he was uncomfortable around so many Elves. I like him when there's no other Elves around, just Pippin and Frodo were there. I gave Pippin a picture of me playing with Merry's hair and Bregolas playing with his hair, and he promised to keep it to put in his room when he gets home.

When Celeborn saw the picture I drew, of the Fellowship and us, he told me that I'm a very good artist. And he taught me how to write their names in Sindarin, and how to write everyone's names in Westron, and I wrote them all at the top of the picture. Galadriel really liked my writing, she said that it was very good.

Ada wanted me to write it all down, and our Westron tutor got Alassë and Bregolas to write it all down in Westron. Sometimes it's good to be really little.

Edited, year 1 of the Fourth Age.

I've grown up since I met the Fellowship in Lothlorien. And guess what? Gandalf came back to life on my begetting day, but he couldn't stay for my party. He promised that he would next year, though!

I'm fifteen summers old now, but Aragorn tells me that I'm like a six-year-old among Men. I still don't know if that's good or bad, yet. Lothlorien's going away now, but I don't want to sail. I've never liked boats, especially not the little ones for the river. So Ada and Nana moved to Ithilien! And so did Bregolas's family. I'm happy, because the Lords of Ithilien are really nice. Lord Legolas is the Legolas I met, and Lord Faramir is Boromir's brother. He's even nicer than Boromir was!

Galadriel gave my picture of the Fellowship to Sam when she sailed, and he says that next time he comes to Minas Tirith he will give it to Aragorn, but it won't be for years and years. By then I'll be all grown up, so he can meet me when I'm big. I'll actually be taller than him!

**It sounds childish, but that's because it's written 'by' a five year-old. ****I wanted to keep Gimli in for the whole thing, but he hadn't really been that comfortable around Elves, so I'm assuming that he wouldn't be any more comfortable around Elflings. Not strictly canon, but not too AU.**

**Disclaimer: I own Bregolas, Tiriliel and Alassë and their parents, but that is it. **


End file.
